Machine for washing, tempering, heating, and hulling wheat.



O. M. & S. E. FRIEND.

MACHINE FOR WASHING, TEMPERING, HEATING,

AND HULLING WHEAT.

APPLICATION man JUNE 29.19I4.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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ORLANDO 1V.[. FRIEND AND SAMUEL E. FRIEND, 0F I-IANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed June 29, 1914. Serial No. 847,935.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ORLANDO M. FRIEND and SAMUEL E. FRIEND, citizens ofthe United States, residing in Hannibal, in the county of Marion andState of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Washing, Tempering, Heating, and Hulling Wheat, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmachines for treating wheat for the purpose, in a continuous operation,of washing, heating, tempering and hulling, or cleaning the grain.

The present invention constitutes an improvement in a machine heretoforedevised by us, and forming the subject-matter of an application forpatent, Ser. No. 793,5 1-1, filed October 6th, 1913. r

The present invention aims more particularly to improve the feedingdevicewhich regulatesthe fiow of grain into the machine, and also toprovide means for supplying water and steam to the interior of thecasing, and to automatically control the supply of same, proportionatelyto the flow of the grain, and to stop the flow of same entirely when theflow of grain is stopped.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating our invention,Figure 1 is aview partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation, showing amachine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional viewthereof, on the lines 2-2 and 2 a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectionon the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a view in elevation of one of thebeater arms; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the end portion of oneof the beater arms.

Referring now to these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the casing ofthe machine, which in practice is about four feet in length, the bottomportion being semi-circular in cross section, and having perpendicularside members 2 which support a top or cover 3, preferably madein twoparts, as shown.

The numerals indicate the ends of the.

casing, to each of which is secured a casting 5 alfordmg a bearing 6 anda standard 7 on which the machine is supported. The ends I 4 arecentrally apertured concentrically with the bottom portion of thecasing, and projecting through these apertures, and into the bearing 6is a shaft 8 which extends longitudinally through the casing. Fixedlysecured at the center of this shaft is a force feed device in the formof a double auger 9 which is concentric with the semi-circular bottomportion, and is adapted to rotate at a distance of about one-half aninch therefrom.

Mounted on the side walls 2 is a partition 10 which is provided with asemi-circular recess to surround-the auger so as to provide, with thebottom portion of the casing, a circular space in which said augerrotates, and which, with said auger, serves to divide the easing intotwo chambers, one of which, at the right of the auger, as shown in Fig.1, and indicated by the numeral 11, we term the agitating chamber, andthe other of which, to the left of the auger, and indicated by thenumeral 12, we term the hulling chamber. I

Mounted on the shaft 8 in the chamber 11 are a series of S-shapedagitators 13, which are arranged from right to left in aprogressively-advanced relation to each other about the shaft, and aredesigned to be rotated with their convex side foremost. Similarlymounted on the shaft 8 in the chamber 12 are a series of agitators 14which are similar in all respects tothe agitators 13. Both sets ofagitators have their outer or convex face forwardly-inclined, that is,inclined toward the left-hand end of the machine, as indicated moreclearly at 15 in Fig. 5, so as to impart a slight forward .movement tothe grain as it is agitated. In addition, the outer portion of eachconvex face of the agitators is provided with a series of transverseribs 16 to providea more severe frictional action on, or rubbing of, thegrain, than occurs with a perfectly smooth surface, as contemplated inour prior machinereferred to.

The top 30f the casing is provided near one end with an opening 17 whichis surrounded by a vertically-disposed housing 18, secured to the topof, and communicating with which is a longitudinally-disposed housing19.. Extending through the housing 18, and pivotally mounted in the sidewalls thereof is a rock shaft 20 to which is fixedly secured at itsupper end a swinging valve 21, the free end of which moves in proximityto the wall of the casing 18. The rock shaft 20 has an arm 22 formedintegral with, or'fixedlysecured to one end thereof, and projectingrearwardly therefrom, slidably and adjustably mounted on which is aweight 23. By adjusting this weight on the arm 22, the

weight of grain necessary to maintain the valve 21 in an open positionmay be varied, thus tending to regulate the feed of the grain, while thevalve will tend to automatically close as the maximum flow of grainpermitted by the adjustment decreases. This automatic action of thevalve, in conjunction with the spring hereinafter referred to, isutilized in controlling the admission of water and of steam to the grainthrough the mechanism now to be described.

Mounted on the cover 3, and extending therethrough to communicate withthe interior of the casing, is a pipe 24 which is provided with a cup25. The numeral 26 indicates a water pipe communicating with anysuitable source of supply and having a depending end portion 27terminating above the cup 25 and provided with a valve 28 which may beturned to various positions to regulate the maximum amount of waterwhich may pass into the cup 25 and thence into the casing. By having thewater flow into the cup 25 in the manner described, the attendant isable to ascertain by observa tion whether the water is running, andalso, in a general way, the amount of water being supplied to the wheat.The numeral 29 indicates a steam pipe communicating with any suitablesource of supply, and having a vertically-disposed portion 30 providedwith a valve casing 31 in which is mounted a valve 32. Connected withthe pipe 30 is a horizontal extension 33 provided with a hand valve 34and having an end portion 35 which communicates with the interior of thecasing 1 in the chamber 11 at a point considerably nearer the center ofthe casing 1 than the point at which the water pipe 24 enters saidcasing. The water pipe 27 is also provided with a valve casing 36 inwhich is mounted a valve, (not shown) and which is preferably of thetype known as a gate valve. Secured to one end of the stem 37 of thisvalve is an arm 38, the outer end of which is pivotally connected to oneend of a link 39, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected toone end of a lever 40, which is pivotally mounted at 41 intermediate itsends on the side wall of the casing 18. The lower end of the lever 40 isprovided with a series of apertures 42 in one or the other of which isconnected, by a suitable pin, one end of a connecting rod 43, theopposite end of which is provided with a series of apertures 44, in oneor the other of which is connected, by a suitable pin, the outer end ofa crank arm 45, the opposite end of which is connected to one end of therock shaft 20. A coil spring 46 is connected at opposite ends to thelever 40 and crank arm 45 near their upper and lower ends, respectively.Pivotally connected to the lever 40 between the pivot 41 and its outerend is one end of a link 47, the opposite end of which is connected tothe outer end of a crank arm 48, the lower end of which is connected tothe stem of the valve 32.

From the construction described, it will be seen that as the valve 21 ismoved clownward by the weight of the grain such movement, through thelever mechanism above described, will open the valves of the water andsteam pipes, and as the flow of grain ceases, and the valve 21 rises,the opposite movement of these parts occasioned thereby will close thesevalves and stop the flow of Water and steam. It is desirable to startand stop the flow of water practically coincident with the flow orcessation of flow of the grain, and this we attain by having theconnecting rod operating the crank arm of the water valve connected tothe outer end of the lever 40, which, of course, has a greater are ofmovement and moves faster than any part of the lever nearer the pivot41. The rapiditywith which the valves are closed in the operation of thedevice can be regulated by connecting the end of the rod 43 to the lever40 nearer to or farther from the lower end thereof, as will be readilyunderstood. The spring 46 acts with the weight 23 in tending to closethe valve 21, and further acts to prevent the valve 21 from constantlyvibrating or rocking up and down, as frequently occurs when only theweight 23 is employed, the spring exerting a uniform tension, while theresist ance of the weight decreases as the valve opens wider andincreases as the valve moves upward.

Extending through the horizontal casing 19 and journaled in bearings 49at opposite ends thereof is a shaft 50 on which is mounted within thecasing 19 a worm conveyor 51. The upper side of the casing is providedwith an opening 52 to which will be connected a spout, trough, or othersuitable conveying means for feeding the wheat into the casing 19. Thelower side of the casing 19 is provided near one end with an outletopening 53 which communicates with the casing 18 through the topthereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer end of the shaft 50 is providedwith a sprocket wheel 54, and a similar sprocket wheel 55 is mounted ona projecting end of the shaft 8, and over these sprocket wheels ispassed a sprocket chain 56. The shaft 8 has also secured to its oppositeend a pulley 57, by means of which it is rotated through the medium of abelt (not shown). The chamber 12 is provided in one of its vertical sidewalls with a discharge opening 58, which is normally closed by means ofa door 59, hinged at its upper end to the casing 1, as indicated at 60,and provided toward its lower end with an arm 61 on which is adjustablymounted a weight 62, which latter offers a certain amount of resistanceto the opening of the door 59 to permit the discharge of grain from thechamber 12 so that the grain is always maintained under pressure.

The casing 19, with its worm conveyer, 51, provides a feed controldevice, enabling us to stop the flow of grain simultaneously andautomatically with the stopping of rotation of the shaft 8, and then theworm conveyer not only ceases to force the grain into the casing 18, butit acts as a closure to the opening 53, to prevent the flow of the grainby gravity into said casing. Such stoppage of the flow of grain willalso, as previously explained, stop the supply of water and steam to thecasing, by permitting the grain-valve 21 to rise and close the valves inthe steam and water pipes, respectively. Thus, if from any accidentalcause, such as the breaking of the belt driving the pulley 57 or theslipping of the belt from said pulley, the machine should cease tooperate, not only will the flow of grain be stopped, but the furthersupply of water and steam to the grain remaining in the casing will beprevented. Such excessive treatment of the grain with steam and waterwould ordinarily ruin it, and the grain besides would become soaked withwater, rendering it practically impossible to start the machine withoutfirst removing the over-treated grain from the eas- Prior to ourinvention it has been the custom to provide special apparatus forheating and tempering or moistening the grain. According to this planthe grain is ordinarily first wetted in one apparatus and then is runinto tanks where it is allowed to lay a sufficient length of time for itto temper, i. 6., for the moisture to be absorbed by the interior of thegrain; After this, if necessary, the grain is subjected to the action ofheat. Of course, different millers have different ways of treating theirwheat for grinding, but in all cases, so far as we are aware, thedevices for wetting or tempering, and heating the grain are separate anddistinct from the devices in which the grain is cleaned. According toour invention, the grain may be washed, heated and tempered in chamber11 simultaneously, and subsequently hulled or cleaned, all in acontinuous operatiomand the heating may be to any required degree bysimply adjusting the valve 34, to regulate the amount of steam admittedto the chamber 11. Of course, the automatic movement of the valve 32regulates the supply of steam to any degree less than the maximumprovided by the adjustment of the valve 34, in proportion to the fiow ofgrain.

After the wheat passes through our machine, it is conveyed to ordinarytempering tanks, where it is allowed to remain for a greater or lesslength of time, and it is then preferably passed through a secondmachine,

of our construction, but without the use of steam or water, where it isthoroughly polished, after which it is passed through cleaning machines,such as are commonly employed in mills, in which the husk, dirt and germremoved from the grain in our machine, are separated therefrom bysuction.

The advantageous results to be secured from the use of our machine, sofar as cleanmay be thoroughly washed and moistened,

this loss of moisture can never be totally restored. There is alwaystherefore, what is known as an invisible loss in the employment of suchsystem of heating wheat.

According to our invention, wet steam is supplied to the grain, whilethe grain itself is moist, with the result that not only is the wheatheated, but this is accomplished with an actual gain in moisture in thewheat, instead of a loss.

We claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination with a casing, arotatable shaft mounted therein, means for agitating and hulling grainmounted on said shaft, a plurality of means for continuously supplyinggrain and moisture to said casing, means for controlling the supply ofmoisture to the casing from the flow of grain thereto, a rotatablefeed-control device governing such flow of grain, and means for rotatingthe feed-control device from said shaft.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination with a casing, ashaft mounted therein and carrying agitating and hulling devices, meansfor turning said shaft, a conduit for supplying grain to the casing, avalve therein movable by the flow of grain, means for supplying moistureto said casing controlled by said valve, a grain receiver communicatingwith said conduit, a worm feed device mounted in said grain receiverabove the valve in said conduit, and adapted, in operation, tocontinuously feed grain into the latter, and means for rotating the wormfeed device from said shaft.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination with a casing, arotatable shaft mounted therein, means for agitating and hulling grainmounted on said shaft, a grain conduit communicating with the casing, a

valve therein movable by the flow of the grain, pipes for supplyingwater and steam to said casing, valves in said pipes, mechanismconnecting the grain valve with said water and steam valves, whereby toautomatically control the supply of Water and steam to the casing fromthe flow of grain, a housing communicating with said conduit and havingan inlet for grain, a rotatable feed-control device in said housinglocated above the grain valve in said conduit, and adapted, inoperation, to continuously feed grain into the latter, and means forrotating said feed-control device from said shaft.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination with a casing,agitating and hulling devices mounted therein, valved pipes forsupplying Water and steam, respectively, to said casing, a conduit forsupplying grain to said casing, a Weighted valve mounted therein, levermechanism opera.-

tively connected With said valve and the valves of said Water and steampipes Whereby to control the latter from the movements of the former,and a spring connecting two movable members of said lever mechanism andtending normally to resist the opening movement of said valve.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands in presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses.

ORLANDO M. FRIEND. SAMUEL E. FRIEND.

Witnesses C. R. MAI-IAN, I-IUGH HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

